Lock and Load
by Ellen Smithee
Summary: Tyler finds Stefan first.


Tyler licked his lips he stared into the cell of the old slaves' quarters, his long fingers gripping the bars so tightly his knuckles had turned white. The vampire lay huddled on the floor in the middle of the room, the shackles tight around his wrists and ankles. As Tyler watched, his captive stirred, rolling over with a groan. The shackles clinked and the vampire froze. Then, he slowly turned his head towards Tyler and stared at him for a long moment before he widened his eyes in recognition.

"Tyler," he said hoarsely. "You have to help me."

Tyler shook his head. "You're not going anywhere, Stefan."

Stefan stared at Tyler without blinking for a long moment, so long that it was almost unnerving. Then his lips curved in a mockery of a smile, and Tyler's stomach tightened. It took all of his courage not to run, in spite of the shackles that kept Stefan bound and away from him.

"Klaus will find me," Stefan said with sneer. "You won't get away with this."

Tyler snorted without humor.

"Klaus won't be coming," he said. "Elijah's... taking care of him. And Damon won't either. Or Elena. Everyone thinks you're dead, Stefan."

Stefan's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he stared at Tyler for a long moment, and then he turned his head away, his whole body going limp. Just as Tyler was starting to relax as well, Stefan sprang into action, sliding across the floor towards Tyler. Tyler stumbled back in surprise, falling to the ground until he was on eye level with Stefan, who was approaching at preternatural speed despite the vervain in his system while Tyler watched, frozen. Stefan clawed at Tyler, and the chains tautened, pulling the vampire back.

"Let me go, Tyler," he hissed. "You'll regret this, I promise."

Tyler shook his head as he backed away, keeping his eyes on Stefan until he was at a safer distance.

"Forget it," he said, his voice strong despite the fear churning in his gut. "You're gonna rot in here."

He pushed himself to his feet and slammed the cell door shut, locking Stefan in, ignoring the shouts of rage.

-o-O-o-

It was another two days before Tyler went back. He told himself it wasn't fear-Stefan wasn't going to get out of the cell any time soon, he'd seen to that. No, he needed to wait it out, wait for the trail to get cold, wait until the others thought Stefan was long gone. He'd lied when he told Stefan that the others thought he was dead, but it would be as good as true soon enough.

He didn't know what had possessed him to make off with Stefan when he found him lying unconscious at the edge of the clearing where they'd trapped Klaus. While the others were still focused on protecting Bonnie as she cast the necessary spells, he'd dragged Stefan away to the old slaves' quarters. Tyler knew if he just left the vampire there for the others to find him, Damon would just put him in the cellar of the boardinghouse, coddle him till he was 'better,' and then set him free again. Tyler wasn't about to let that happen. You couldn't cure someone like Stefan.

"I'm hungry," Stefan said, as soon as he entered the cell.

"Too bad," Tyler said. Stefan cowered away as he approached, but Tyler caught him easily, pulling him within reach by the hem of his jeans so that he could drive the vervain dart into his thigh. Stefan howled in pain, the sound hurting Tyler's sensitive ears.

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked, his voice coming out as a croak as he fell back weakly.

"You've hurt enough people," Tyler said, gazing at Stefan evenly as he got to his feet.

The veins around Stefan's eyes filled and his face twisted into a snarl.

"Not as much as I'm going to hurt you."

He lunged, but Tyler was quicker, exiting the cell fast, but with as much dignity as he could muster.

-o-O-o-

At first he only went to the quarters every two or three days, cutting it almost too short before Stefan's next dose of vervain. Stefan begged and threatened, while Tyler remained stoic, refusing to show any reaction. As time went on, the threats stopped and then, finally, the begging, just as Tyler thought he might relent. Throughout the day, every day, all he could think of was Stefan in the cell, weakening, starving, wasting away, and soon Tyler was visiting daily, sitting just out of reach as Stefan lay mostly still on the ground, slipping in and out of consciousness, delirious more often than not.

"When's the full moon?" Stefan asked one day in a moment of rare lucidity.

Tyler swallowed hard as he thought of what he had planned. "In three days."

"But this is where you..." Stefan's voice trailed off and Tyler saw the recognition in his eyes.

"Yeah," he said. "It is."

-o-O-o-

He'd worried he'd have a problem getting Caroline out of his hair, but Elena had some sort of meltdown about Stefan's continued disappearance and needed Caroline and Bonnie. Caroline was apologetic, but Tyler played the understanding boyfriend. Sure, he could do it alone, just this once.

Stefan just looked up at him as he entered the cell, watching silently as Tyler got undressed.

"It's okay," he said suddenly. "I understand why you have to do this. I don't blame you. I... deserve it." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I deserve to die."

Tyler just stared at him for a moment and then he doubled over in pain as the change started.

_Fuck_. He couldn't do it.

He tossed the key for the shackles to Stefan.

"Get out," he rasped. "Save yourself. _Hurry_."

He dropped to his knees with a scream, barely noticing the rush of air as Stefan left.

-o-O-o-

The first thing Tyler noticed when he awoke was a cool hand stroking his brow.

"Caroline?" he croaked, pressing instinctively into the soothing touch.

"No, it's me."

Twisting in the arms that were holding him, Tyler squinted at the other man's face in the gloom. Blood was smeared on Stefan's mouth and neck and he looked very much like his old self again.

"Stefan?"

Stefan just shushed him, smiling at him gently.

"You didn't leave."

"Like you said, I'm not going anywhere," Stefan said, his touch turning into a caress for a moment before his hand went oddly still. "And neither are you."

It was then that Tyler noticed the taste of Stefan's blood in his mouth.


End file.
